Kaleidoscope Children’s Theatre, which presented the heartwarming “Cinderella’s Christmas” last year at Symphony Hall is back with a similar treatment of another fairytale princess in “Snow White’s Christmas.”

At 1 p.m. Saturday, join Snow White as she finds a cottage in the woods in her search for true love. The musical adaptation of the story follows closely to the original story line and is performed by the touring children’s theatre company based in Cranston, Rhode Island.

It features colorful costumes, lots of song and dance, and a chance for some young audience member to take part in the show.

The Snake Pit, Dorney Park's proposed seven-story complex of water slides, is one step closer to wet and wild reality, after the South Whitehall Township Planning Commission recommended preliminary final approval on the project Thursday.

"It's another hurdle down," said Michael Fehnel, Dorney's general manager. "It went very well and we couldn't be happier."

He said the plans for the slide complex next must go before South Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Dec. 18 be he doesn't anticipate any problems.

"Everything has gone so smoothly," he says. "We might even be ahead of the game."

He says height is not an issue since the tower for Snake Pit, at 65 feet tall, will be slightly shorter than two other tube slides, Lightning Falls and Aquablast. At 70 feet, they are the tallest slides at Wildwater Kingdom.

The project, the first major upgrade of the water park since 2007, is planned to be ready to open Memorial Day weekend. The new ride will help the park celebrate its 130th anniversary.

Fehnel says officials have gone through the park's archives and found historic photos of things including the pool and the trolley that went under the roller coaster that have not been seen in years. He said they plan to display some on the park's Facebook page, such as this brochure made for the park's 70th anniversary in 1954.

The South Whitehall amusement park is spending $8 million for the new ride along with renovations at Wildwater Kingdom that include a new 4,000-square-foot locker area with electronic locks rather than keys.

The highlight of the Snake Pit is a set of three body slides called the Python Plummet, which will drop riders in a near free fall from 65 feet. After entering a capsule in the ride, sliders will hear a countdown and then the floor will drop out, sending them down a nearly vertical tube.

The slide complex also will include The Constrictor, a 450-feet-long tube slide that features four 360-degree loops, and Boa Blaster, two dueling 50-foot-high tube slides with S turns. The Snake Pit's height restriction will be 48 inches.

The last new attraction added at Wildwater Kingdom was Aqua Racer, a six-lane mat racer slide, in 2007.

Dorney will be only the second among parent company Cedar Fair Entertainment's 11 amusement parks to have the free fall-style water slide, Fehnel said. Cedar Fair's Worlds of Fun in Kansas City opened a similar ride -- Predator's Plunge -- this summer.

Wildwater Kingdom, which opened in 1985, will have 26 water slides after Snake Pit opens. Dorney Park, Fehnel said, is known in the Cedar Fair family of parks for its water attractions.

Pip the Mouse is back. The familiar mouse returns for another holiday season of helping Santa deliver presents in the popular puppet show “Pip: the Mouse Before Christmas.”

The show officially opens Nov. 29, but fans can get a sneak preview at Pip’s Pals Preview Party at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. See a preview of the puppet show and the exhibit “Pip: the Architect’s Apprentice” which explores the history of children’s building toys from Lincoln logs to K’Nex and also displays an assortment of gingerbread houses. During the preview, kids will do a craft. The cost is $3, adults; $1, children. Reservations are required.

No reservations are needed once the 10-minute show begins its regular public showing with opening ceremonies and refreshments at 12:30 p.m. Nov. 27. Additional shows are at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Shows continue at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, through Jan. 4.

On Dec. 7, kids can join Pip for Breakfast at 8 a.m. in the fellowship hall at Zion’s Liberty Bel’ Church. Breakfast includes scrambled eggs, hot cakes, sausage and home fries. Pip will greet guests and a performance of “Pip: The Mouse Before Christmas” will follow. Seatings are at 8, 8:45, 9:30, and 10:15 a.m. Reservations are required. The breakfast is $10, adults; $5, children. Call 610-435-4232.

Here's a chance to get an affordable piece of art and support a great program that helps young artists in the Allentown School District.

The fourth annual art show and sale sponsored by the Allentown Arts Academy Alliance will feature more than 50 eight-inch-square canvases in a wide variety of styles and media Wednesday Nov. 13 at Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance, Muhlenberg College.

All funds raised will benefit the the Allentown Academy of the Arts, at William Allen High School.

The artworks which will be on display at the college are created by the Arts Academy’s students, teachers and alumni, as well as artists from the community and local colleges and universities including Nancy Bossert, Lee Butz, Fran Ackley, Claudia McGill, Jon Roylance, John Gaydos, Dana Van Horn, and more. Most of the artworks are paintings; however, some artists have mounted handcrafted jewelry or pottery on an 8-by-8-inch base.

The show takes place from 4 to 6:30 p.m, and purchases may be taken at 6 p.m. Canvases will be auctioned starting at $50 each.

The event will also include performances by Allen High School’s Chorale and Double String Quartet.

The Academy of the Arts, William Allen’s magnet school program, offers studio instruction to Allentown School District students in theatre, dance, visual art, and music.

With the Christmas season around the corner, area malls are welcoming Santa Claus.

The jolly old elf actually made his first appearance in the area Friday when he arrived at Lehigh Valley Mall, and there are Santa arrivals at other local malls this weekend.

The man in red arrives at 9 a.m. Saturday at Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township and at 11:30 a.m. at South Mall in Salisbury Township.

Santa will arrive at Palmer Park Mall's main entrance on a flashing Palmer Township fire truck. Kids can join in the parade and follow Santa to his snowy home in Center Court to music performed by Bill Hawk Brass. His arrival at South Mall will be more low-key as he opens his workshop in the center of the mall.

After visiting Santa, children can take part in a special Kids Klub craft and make a Thanksgiving pine cone turkey 1-3 p.m. at Palmer Mall.

The Lehigh Valley Mall is celebrating “Santa Saturday” 8:30-10 a.m. Children can arrive at 8:30 a.m. for crafts and light refreshments at the Santa House in the mall’s event court. Santa will arrive at 9:15 a.m. and lead children in a jingle bell parade to The Children's Place. Kids can have a private meeting there and greet with Santa, enjoy milk and cookies, and take part in kid-friendly private shopping and other activities.

You’ll have to wait a week to see Santa at the Promenade Shops in Saucon Valley, which will kick off the holiday season Nov. 22, with a tree lighting and Santa’s arrival.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m. enjoy live holiday music in the Promenade’s town square with Norris & James. At 5:45, children age 12 and younger will get a free jingle bell to help guide Santa. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive by fire truck at 6 p.m. and will be guided along Main Street and arrive at town square to light the tree.

Santa will greet children at the gazebo 6:15-9 p.m. The Lehigh Valley Idols will provide music, while holiday music of the select choir from Arts Academy Charter School will be played along Main Street.

Peeps Fest returns for its fifth year to ArtsQuest Center at
SteelStacks in Bethlehem Dec. 30 and 31 with more free fun than ever. The family festival features two
days filled with live music, arts and everything Peeps.

This year the festival expands to four locations - the
ArtsQuest Center, Levitt Pavilion, the Visitor Center and PBS39 Public Media and
Education Center.

The festival culminates with the dropping of a 4.5-foot tall, 85-pound Peeps chick at 5:15 p.m. Dec. 31, followed by
fireworks for an early welcome to the New Year. Also in honor of the 60th anniversary of marshmallow candy made by Bethlehem's Just Born, the SteelStacks’
blast furnaces will illuminated with yellow lights during Peeps Fest.

Back is the Peeps Diorama Competition,
showcasing more than 100 dioramas created by area school students. All entries will be on display at PBS39 Public Media and Education Center. Winners will be announced
at 3 p.m. Dec. 30 and the grand-prize winner invited to help drop the Peeps Chick on New Year’s Eve.

New this year are studios tours of PBS39; a hula hoop contest, a life size Coca-Cola Ski Chalet made out
of soda 12 packs topped with a roof made of Peeps; a life-size polar bear made out of Peeps; African penguins and other animals from Lehigh Valley Zoo; a visit from Dutch Springs’ dog
sled team; instruments display from Allentown Symphony Hall and other crafts
and activities by nonprofit groups.

There also will be a free New Year's Eve Party with live music by kid-friendly
rock band Starfish at 4 p.m. at Levitt Pavilion.

There will be performances by local musicians Dave Fry Dec. 30 and Kira Willey Dec. 31 and magic shows by Eddie Ray both days in the creativity commons. Also in the ArtsQuest Center will be Peeps-themed arts and crafts, video game competitions, a
scavenger hunt and pictures with the Peeps chick, Elmo, TeleBear, Coca-Cola'a polar bear and other
mascots. The Peepsmobile and a Peeps
ice sculpture will be on display on the
Air Products Town Square and families will be able to buy
s-mores kits, and roast marshmallows on outdoor fire pits. Kids also can take part in the Peeps Fest kids mascot dash at noon Dec. 31.

A family disco lounge party both days at an additional cost will feature live music, a
family-friendly DJ, bounce house and more.Rolie Polie Guacamole will play Dec. 30 and We Kids Rock on Dec. 31. Tickets are $5 for ages
17 and under and free for adults.
Families also can register to to run in the Peeps 5K and kids fun run Dec. 31 for an additional fee.

Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 30 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 31.

For more information and tickets to the family disco lounge,
visit www.artsquest.org/peepsfest or call 610-332-3378.

Young artists are invited to create an image of how aircraft can transport needed supplies to provide relief during emergencies in the 2014 Aviation Art contest held by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Bureau of Aviation.

Through Jan. 17, children ages 6 through 17 can submit a
picture on the theme “Flying Saves Lives.” Entries will be
judged in three age divisions and there will one winner from each division selected from each of PennDOT’s 11
district offices. Winners will receive a certificate signed by PennDOT
Secretary Barry J. Schoch and a mounted, full-color, 16-by-20-inch copy
of their entry. The students’ schools will also receive a mounted copy
of the artwork for display.

The top three winners in each category statewide will go on to the national competition and winners in eahc age group will be submitted to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale for international judging.

Artwork should be submitted on 11.75 by 16.5-inch paper,
unframed, unmatted and unlaminated. All work must be done by hand. Young
artists
may use acrylic, oil paint, felt-tip pens, ink, pens, watercolor or
crayons. Children are asked not to submit entries using non-permanent
media such as pencil or charcoal or to use computer-generate artwork or photocopies.

Please include the artwork title, student’s name, home address, birth date, county and the school address on the back. Entries will not
be returned. Each entry must include the contest's authenticity certificate which can be printed from the contest website at www.nasao.org.

Last years winners in District 5 which includes Lehigh, Northampton,
Berks, Monroe, Carbon and Schuylkill counties were Jasmine Heroux-Skirbst of Defranco
Elementary School, Bangor and Kendall Heiney of Slatington
Elementary School. More than 300 children in first through fifth grades submitted a
picture on the theme “50 Years in American Space
Flight" from across the state.

Winning entries can be seen
in the Bureau of Aviation’s section on www.dot.state.pa.us. For more information, call 717-783-8800.

Local theater performers are joining to raise funds for pediatric cancer with
“Dreams & Wishes,” a concert of uplifting Broadway songs.

On Nov. 7, 10 singers, who have performed in the Lehigh Valley at Civic
Theatre, Muhlenberg College, Pennsylvania Playhouse, Touchstone and other
venues, will perform inspirational songs in the Allentown Brew Works’ High
Gravity Lounge.

Kirsten Rani Almeida, owner of Star of the Day Productions, which has held
its spotlight cabarets at Allentown Brew Works since 2011, organized the
fundraiser after learning one of her voice students is a
cancer survivor.

“Since I was 14, I have been raising money and awareness for cancer in one
way or another,” Almeida says. “I have lost many friends and family members to
the disease.”

Part of the show proceeds will help fund “The Butterfly Project,” an original
theater project planned for 2014 which will benefit the Pediatric Cancer
Foundation of the Lehigh Valley. The project is a play with music based on the
children's book “The Butterbird,” which helps children cope with the loss of a
friend from childhood cancer. The show combines drama, music and dance as it
explores the life and death of a young girl and how her best friend copes with
losing her.

Almeida performed in the world premiere of “The Butterfly Project” in 2009 in
New Jersey and wants to stage the production in the Lehigh Valley. Almedia just
appeared Off-Broadway in “Professor Von Awesome's Ghost Hunting Safari” with
the Serious Theater Collective.

Many of the performers are familiar faces to theater audiences. Janis Greim
was recently seen as Diana in Civic Theatre's production of the musical “Next to
Normal.” Mike Daniels appeared as Lt. Frank Cioffi in Pennsylvania Playhouse's
“Curtains.”

Alan Mendez appeared in Muhlenberg College’s production of “The
Mystery of Edwin Drood,” and
was seen earlier this year in “Company” at
Pennsylvania Playhouse. Also appearing in “Company” were Kimberly Tassinaro and
Vincent Rostkowski.

Younger performers include Star of the Day high school vocal scholarship
competition winners Parkland senior Paige Haring, and Marissa Brewer, a freshman
at DeSales University who just appeared in Act 1's “Rodgers & Hart: A
Celebration,” as well as Lower Macungie Middle School sixth grader Rhys Williams.

Meet the four author/illustrators featured in Allentown Museum's new exhibit at the museum's "Fall Festival: Worlds of Wonder" Sunday.

Admission to the museum is free during the festival from noon-4
p.m.

Explore the world of children’s graphic book authors Dave Roman, Eric Wight, Matt Phelan, and Raina Telgemeier in “Drawing on Character: The Art of Children’s Graphic Novels” on display at
the Art Ways Interactive Family Gallery through Dec.
29.

Dave
Roman, along with his wife Raina Telgemeier, will present an interactive look at his
inspirations, cartoons and book, "Astronaut Academy." In Art Ways, Eric Wight and Matt Phelan team up to entertain the crowd
with interactive demonstrations of cartoon drawing, and talk about techniques
on developing characters and storylines.

Also check out the magnificent paintings and sculptures of animals in the exhibition "American Wildlife Art," and visit Crayola Learning Center for wild adventures
in art.

A fourth-grader with a big imagination; a middle school girl with major
dental problems; and a boy struggling to survive in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s;
are three of the very different characters that came to life in exhibit which features cartoon and graphic artwork from the four
illustrator/authors from the genre that is growing in popularity among kids

“We feel graphic novels are a great way to tell a story,” says Kathy
Odorizzi, the museum’s manager of the Arts in Education and School programs.
“Graphic novels really engage kids and motivate them to read.”

The exhibit came together after Wight, a 1992 Freedom High School
graduate who wrote and illustrated the “Frankie Pickle” series, suggested the
idea to the museum staff. Wight, who started taking art classes in second grade
at Baum School of Art when it was located in the basement of the museum, has had
a long association with the institution.

“I’ve been going to the Allentown Art Museum my whole life,” he says. “There
have been so many great programs.”

Wight who now lives in Chalfont, Bucks County, suggested some colleagues, all of whom have artwork
included in the exhibit.

“They each have a different style and distinct voice,” says Odorizzi. “One
did a book for the younger set, another a coming-of-age story and a third
historical fiction.”

Images from Wight’s three books in the “Frankie Pickle” series that follow
the imaginative fourth grader, are featured in the show.

Wight, who has done animation for Walt Disney, Warner Brother., Cartoon
Network, Marvel Entertainment and DC, is working on a television show based on
“Frankie Pickle” for Canadian television and has a fourth “Frankie Pickle” book
in the works. He also is working on a new series about a cupcake with
superpowers, named Jiminy Sprinkles, which is planned for publication in summer
2014.

Also on display is original artwork from “The Storm In the Barn,” the
award-winning graphic novel by Math Phelan of Ardmore, Montgomery County.

Phelan already had a career as an illustrator for children’s picture books
like “Flora's Very Windy Day” by Jeanne Birdsall and the Newberry-winning “The
Higher Power of Lucky” by Susan Patron, when he wrote his first graphic novel in
2011.

“I had an idea for a longer story and though the graphic novel was the
perfect medium,’ he says.

“The Storm in the Barn” which tells the story of an 11-year-old boy living in
the Dust Bowl in 1937 won the Scott O’Dell award for historical fiction, the
only graphic novel to ever do so.

“It was quite an honor,” Phelan says. “ What was great was it recognizes it
as a book. Graphic novels are a particular kind of reading. They are very visual
stories. A lot of things are going on.”

Phelan followed up his first graphic novel with “Around the World,” about
people who tried to circumvent the globe in the 19th
century and “Bluffton,” about a young Buster Keaton who spent summers in
Michigan, both also historical fiction.

“I’m really interested in little pockets of history that you don’t hear
about,” he says.

Phelan and Wight will lead a graphic novel workshop for kids in December at
the museum.

“We’ll teach them fundamentals of making comics and let them run wild,” Wight
says.

Also featured in the exhibit are New York City based husband and wife Dave
Roman and Raina Telgemeier, both successful graphic novelist in their own
rights.

Telgemeier is the creator of “Smile” and “Drama,” graphic novels about a
middle-school girl. Both became New York Times bestsellers She also adapted and
illustrated four graphic novel versions of Ann M. Martin's “Baby-sitters Club”
series.

Roman is the author/illustrator of the “Astronaut Academy” series, about an
elementary school in outer space, and writer of the graphic novels “Teen Boat!”
and “Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery.” He also is the coauthor of two New
York Times best-selling graphic novels, “X-Men: Misfits” and “The Last
Airbender: Zuko’s Story.”

Wight hopes the show will make families more aware of the wide variety of
graphic novels that are being published for children today.

“Many people are familiar with comic books but not really familiar with
what’s available in graphic novels,” he says.

Odorizzi also says kids may be inspired by what they see.

“We want to use the graphic novel exhibit to inspire creativity,” she
says.

Admission is free Sundays and $12; $10, students and seniors and free, 5 and under, other days. Info: 610-432-4333, www.allentownartmuseum.org